Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix: Falling Apart Before It Starts

Strikeforce is at it again.

Anyone that regularly reads my columns will tell you that I always give Strikeforce the benefit of the doubt.

They are a relatively new promotion that has been setting up a foundation with which to build on, so you can't expect everything to be perfect.

But, as I recently wrote, the Heavyweight Grand Prix they are staging to start 2011 is a signal that they should now be taken seriously. It is another big step toward the top, and there should be no more excuses.

And, let me say again, I have been a huge supporter of this tournament and its format.

With the guarantee that champion Alistair Overeem will be defending his title three times this year against the best possible opposition Strikeforce can offer, due to the title being on the line in each of his bouts, there was not much to complain about.

Yes, the bracket is lopsided, but this way Overeem is sure to fight all of the top guys in five-round fights. Not much of a tournament at all, just a clever way to hype up each deserving title contender.

Well, this morning, much of that praise went out the window.

During the first teleconference for the Heavyweight Grand Prix, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker announced they had a change of heart concerning the original format.

Instead of Overeem's title being on the line throughout the tournament, the champion's bouts will be for three rounds and his title will not be involved.

Now, the tournament winner will be named the No. 1 contender for the belt.

I guess that means if Overeem wins he will play a game of chess with himself for his own belt.

The change also begs the question: Why the lopsided brackets, then?

Josh Barnett, who was considered the No. 2 heavyweight in the world by most in 2009 and has not lost a bout since then, has been placed on the opposite side of the bracket from the top contenders and champion.

That means while Overeem will have to face Fabricio Werdum and possibly Fedor Emelianenko to get to the finals, Barnett will much more simply have to best Brett Rogers and the winner of Sergei Kharitonov and Andrei Arlovski to reach the tournament's pinnacle.

It made sense before when this was much less a tournament than a formula for setting up the most deserving title contenders. Now it is just an unlevel playing field with one side having a much harder climb to the top.

With the rules now changed, the bracket should be fixed.

In all likelihood, that will not happen. I have defended Strikeforce many times before, but there is no excusing this move. It is another head-scratching decision that they are now becoming infamous for.

The fans want to see Overeem in five-round fights defending his title against Fabricio Werdum and Fedor Emelianenko. If the tournament is in the way of that, there is a bit of a problem.

It is becoming their trend to make something that can truly be great for the sport, then tweak it just enough to where it makes no sense and all observers are baffled.

While I will remind myself to look on the bright side, that we will be getting some great heavyweight matchups that no fan should miss, it is just another reminder of how easily Strikeforce can make a great product but chooses to remain sub-par.

I wrote yesterday that this tournament is a massive opportunity for Strikeforce, and we would see if they took advantage. It now seems that not only will they not take advantage, they are not even paying attention.

This article was originally posted on TheMMATruth.com

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